A Devil's Sorrow
by Duke the Dark
Summary: A group of an unlikely trio–a hot-headed sorcerer, a loud mouthed & silly rogue, & a tiefling paladin; the three learns that surviving is not only in fighting monsters and villains,but also against the realities of the world. Two very cool villains, an
1. Prologue

A Devil's Sorrow By Duke the Dark  
  
(this is my first story, I hope you guys will love it, I try to stay loyal to the Forgotten Realm's "feel", and I am doing my best to make this as intriguing as possible, with a mix of battles, humor, and the morals and lessons of life)  
  
"Don't trust a dark road, but be more careful of strangers."  
  
Prologue  
  
He walked with slow, yet sure and purposed steps towards the small town of Secomber, the northernmost settlement in the Western Heartlands. The figure walked on the middle of the road, as if the whole area itself was his, despite the fact that this is the first time he ever traveled in these parts of Faerun. In the darkness of night, he feels comfortable even if the next man-made light is still a few hundred of meters away, in Secomber itself, even if the road is flanked by woods.  
  
He stopped on his tracks, unmoving, as if in great thought. With his long cloak reaching the floor, hoods on, and his sleek figure, he looks like a lady lost in the woods. Suddenly, four shapes erupted in the woods two on the left, two on the right.  
  
Bandits, he thought. How typical.  
  
The four bandits now circled him, all seven feet away, not wanting to take their chances, yet quite comfortable with their obvious odds. The sound of metal rang, as the three of them drew their short swords. The fourth one remained unarmed.  
  
The cloak figure smiled, "Don't you think those weapons are too small for you. Look at yourselves, you are orcs."  
  
"But how you---?", the first orc asked, surprised that the victim knew even in a dark night.  
  
"Shut up! Obviously he is an elf who can see at night, or with the aide of magic! Be careful dealing with him. You! We will leave you in piece if you hand us your gold pouch!", the fourth one, smaller than the other three shouted out loud.  
  
"Hmmm. and can I trust the word of a bottom feeder bandit? But very well, I will play along", the cloaked figure then took a pouch from his belt and threw it to the floor in front of the first orc.  
  
The orc picked it up, opened the pouch.  
  
"Well, what is it?" the obvious bandit leader asked.  
  
"This no gold! This trash!" replied the orc.  
  
The leader took a grim look at the figure, "You have the audacity to make a."  
  
Before the leader can finish his statement, a bright flash erupted in their victim's hands, as three glowing spheres hit the first orc in his hairy chest. The orc holding his burned chest fell to the ground with a groan.  
  
The other two charged in. "Kill him!", ordered the leader. The first orc to reach their victim slashed hard from the right, aiming at the throat. But the figure easily side stepped away, then managed to dodge his body back to the right as the second orc from behind tried to stabbed him at the back of his right chest.  
  
"FOOL! Hit the left of his chest! That is where the heart is!", the leader managed to shout at the second orc, after recovering from the initial shock of spell display, not the death of one of his men.  
  
Their victim suddenly rolled into the air, and landing twelve feet behind the orcs. The orcs, surprised, looked back and charged with their full speed. All they heard was a few muttered words of a language they don't comprehend, and without even reaching their target, both of them got burned in their tracks as a jet of circular flame erupted from the figure's hands going straight to the leader. The leader, both shocked and amused by an obvious display of spell power, still managed to dodge himself from his obvious fiery death.  
  
"Ah, a mage of some sort," the leader said while getting up from his knees. "I have dealt with your kind before, and I am obviously prepared for your kind now!", saying this, he drew a keen looking short sword, and with a simple word, "magic bane", the sword glowed a dark red. "Ha ha ha! You might have dealt with the orcs easily elf wizard, but I am not an orc, nor am I as unskilled as them!". He charged in, managing to fill the gap of nineteen feet in a matter of a few seconds. He strike for his victim's skull, expecting to hear the usual crack, but instead, was very surprised to hear a clang of steel against steel.  
  
"What is this?!", as he asked, he managed to see what happened. The cloaked figure managed to block his sword strike with a dagger. "You think your puny blade can stop mine elf?!", with that, he did a full turn and slashed towards his opponent's right shoulder. Another block, but this time, by a long sword, held by the figure's right hand. The bandit leader rolled back, shocked. "Bu. but you're a wizard.", he stammered. The figure pulled down his cloak, and revealed his dusky black delicate skin, silver hair, and eyes filled with great, yet cold hatred. "A. a. drow!", the bandit leader fell back to his back, and starting crawling backwards.  
  
"I am not a drow human. I am half-drow. Cursed with the reputation of the drow, and the weakness of humans, a weakness you are obviously having, my friend. A weakness that will lead you to your death.", the half-drow took a step forward.  
  
"A weakness of humans you say.", the proud leader still managed to say, "then you shall discover first hand!". With that he leaped forward, sword in a piercing position towards the half-drow's heart. He only felt air, but how could I possibly missed such an obvious target? No one can be that quick, I could have atleast hit his shoulder or arms... He then felt a knee to his stomach as he fell down. Winded, he still slashed up to wear he knows his opponent is. Missed again. He then saw his opponent at his back, a few feet away, just standing. He got up and charged, this time, using his full strength to do a full leap-charge. He smiled with the satisfaction of hitting flesh. a flesh that leads to the heart. It can't be! He should be down by now, why is he still up?! He then felt his body turning numb, all except his head is failing him. He fell to the ground, the sword, still in tact in his opponent's chest as he last remembered.  
  
"What do you know of a vampire in Secomber?", he can hear his adversary standing before him.  
  
"I. I. know nothing."  
  
"Then you have wasted both my time and efforts. well, not much in effort to be honest.", the half-drow replied, "and oh, you are wrong once again, you told your orc friend that the heart is on the left side, partly you are right, but to me. I have no heart left. no heart.", he said the last phrase with almost a grieving pain. But with that, the bandit leader felt his head being pulled up using his hair, and saw a red glowing short sword in front of him, slitting his throat.  
  
******  
  
A cloaked figure entered the small town of Secomber at the early lights of dawn. Walking with slow, yet sure and purposed steps. 


	2. The Unlikely Three Dark Dealings

"Most deceits aren't like one layered cakes, they are layers upon layers upon layers. be careful."  
  
Chapter 1 The Unlikely Three. Dark Dealings.  
  
"I still think you are not fit into a paladin's position, Adakor! Look at you! I mean, no offense to your heritage and all, but it's your "moods and views" that kills you!", said a raven-colored haired, slim human female named Haikarith, "I bet my whole fortune you will not last long as a paladin!", she added as she continued to stuff food into her mouth.  
  
"Don't you know it's bad to talk while your mouth is full?", replied Adakor, a tan skinned, long and wavy, jet black-haired human, "Go disturb Kalan please, I am trying to enjoy my steak."  
  
Haikarith looked at the man across the table who is also eating. The man, who got long brown hair tied behind his back, looked up at Haikarith, put his arms around his food plate and hugged it closer to him, "You stay away from my food, Haikarith, and stay away from me!"  
  
"WHAT?! You think I want your food you freak of a sorcerer?! I can afford my own food, thank you very much," complained Haikarith loudly, "you are always grumpy, but yeah, can I have a taste?"  
  
"Oh brother.", Adakor smiled and shook his head. He looked around the almost empty tavern and smiled to the few costumers who are present, "forgive the attitude of my friends. rough days lately, that's all." With that, Adakor stood up and carried his now empty plate towards the kitchen.  
  
"Oh, don't bother yourself", one of the barmaids approached Adakor to take the plate from him. Then she saw something unusual about him, small crude rock like spikes are bulging from Adakor's knuckles, and as she drew nearer, she felt suddenly uncomfortable, as if she is tipsy from a good dwarven ale.  
  
"No really, it's ok", Adakor said, obviously not wanting the barmaid to go nearer.  
  
"HEY! STOP SCARING THE POOR GIRL!", Haikarith stomped near to the pair and stood in between them, facing Adakor. "YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF MISTER! LOOK AT HER, ALL PALE!... Oh, Missy, are you alright? Forgive my friend here. He is kinda sick and have a contagious disease."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Give me those plates Adakor, before you break it!", before Adakor can offer the plates, Haikarith took it from him "HMPH! Here you go Missy. and here, a tip for your troubles", she gave her a gold piece.  
  
"You are so kind Miss. Miss", replied the stunned barmaid.  
  
"Call me Haikarith! The prettiest girl in Faerun!". Haikarith immediately heard whispers from the costumers. She turned around to look at them with a fierce stare, "AND WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!".  
  
A pretty teenage girl from a group of six teenagers stood up from her seat, "Well, you might be pretty, but I am prettier". The girl's seatmate, a tall blonde lad urged her to sit down while the rest giggled.  
  
"Oh, so we have here a challenger ey? Say, we hold a beauty contest here tonight huh? Call all your pretty friends, and let us see who is the prettiest", replied Haikarith.  
  
"You better stop her, Kalan, she is into it again", Adakor said smiling as he returned to his seat.  
  
"BAH! Leave me alone tiefling!", Kalan able to muttered while chewing a big piece of his steak. "I don't care what that girl say or do, its none of my business what she gets herself into."  
  
"Really? Aren't you afraid of our reputation, that we might get the attention of certain. people?", Adakor challenged.  
  
"Why? I have nothing to hide tiefling, unlike you."  
  
"Perhaps", was all Adakor could say, as he could not help but look outside the old window of the old tavern, towards the bright sky, "perhaps."  
  
By this time, the teenage girl and Haikarith was being held by the teenage girl's companions and the barmaid for their argument turned heated, which could erupt anytime with a fist fight. "Oh, letting your friends hold you now, hey? Pretending to still wanna fight??", mocked Haikarith. She then felt a strong hand on her left arm.  
  
"Let's go Haikarith", Kalan said, pulling Haikarith away towards the door. He is quite amused with the strength that Haikarith have to resist his pull, but he managed to pull her away anyway.  
  
The teenage girl manage to mock back, "So it is you who are letting your friends drag you back! HA HA HA!".  
  
Haikarith, turning red, kicked and punched wildly in the air, "You will pay for that!".  
  
As Kalan managed to pull her outside the tavern, Adakor stepped out too, "Now, who is to be ashamed of herself?", he smiled at her.  
  
"WHY YOU! YOU TWO WILL NOW GET THE BEATINGS OF YOUR LIFE!", she yelled. She positioned herself in a fist fight position, "C'mon, who is first?!".  
  
"Look Haikarith, across the street, they sell cakes," pointed Adakor to a red painted one-story building.  
  
"Really? WO HOOOOO!", Haikarith ran towards the building, bumping two women carrying groceries in the process.  
  
"Watch it!", one yelled.  
  
"Can't talk. Gotta buy cakes!"  
  
Kalan looked at Adakor with a questioning gaze, "How did you know they sell cakes, I don't see any sign that they do."  
  
"I don't", Adakor gave his usual half smile, "I just saw someone getting out of there carrying a cake."  
  
"OK, now you are gonna get it from her!"  
  
"Nah, I don't think so, even if they don't sell cakes, she will make sure she leaves the building with one, one way or the other. That is our Haikarith, besides, you should thank me, otherwise, she would be kicking your arse by now"  
  
"Yeah whatever."  
  
After waiting for a few minutes, Haikarith ran out the building holding a half of a cake, while being chased by an angry bald man.  
  
"See, I told you", Adakor said, as they go walked towards where Haikarith was running. He then threw a gold piece to the bald man.  
  
"Yeah whatever", Kalan again muttered, as they walked the busy streets of Secomber.  
  
******  
  
The half-drow knocked at the withered door of an old building, which is in truth, a secret branch of the church of Cyric, the god of Murder and Lies, in Secomber. An old woman in dirty, rugged clothes opened the door, "How may I help you, sir?".  
  
"This is a place for the worshippers of the Black Sun, is it not?", the half-drow said without hesitation.  
  
"I think you are mistaken sir. This is a place where we, the poor unwanted people of Secomber gather," the old woman started to close the door. But the half-drow stopped the door.  
  
"I have no time for this games, I know I am not mistaken or that you are what you seem you are. Do not worry, I am not here to kill you, and I am not a spy from either the Harpers or the church of Bane for that matter," with that, he smiled for the mention of Bane gave away the old woman's identity, for her eyes suddenly showed signs of shock, anger. and fear, even for just a fleeting moment.  
  
"Enter", the woman stepped aside, and as the half-drow went inside, he was quite impressed of how well the church fooled outsiders with its outside appearance. Inside, the place looks all new, woods are very polished, the floors and everything inside are clean, even the benches are well arranged. In the other end of the fifty feet long room, an altar is erected, with a big symbol of Cyric imbedded in its walls - a jawless skull in front of a black sunburst. Black and purple candles are almost scattered throughout the room, with gothic candle holders. Around a dozen of people are either kneeling or sitting throughout the benches.  
  
"So, looks can indeed be VERY deceiving," remarked the half-drow, smirking, lowering his cowl, and as he looked at the old woman, her whole body seemed to ripple as if she is made from water, and then turned into a tall, beautiful, yet intelligently deadly looking lady, with long straight black hair, wearing long black robes made of thin cotton, which is tightly hugging her slender frame. It seems to the half-drow that the woman herself is wearing nothing but just painted her body black. He gave another smirk, "I doubt that the only deceiving thing about you is that old woman form you took."  
  
Getting the irony of that statement, the beautiful woman then asked with a cold, uncaring voice, "State your name and business mixed-breed," without even showing a hint of surprise to the visitor's race.  
  
Looking at the woman, challenging her cold voice with his cold stare, he bluntly said, "I am Sithyari. I seek a vampire here in Secomber, have you heard of him? I think that the people who knows best of his existence and whereabouts would be you people, the clerics of Cyric."  
  
"Yes, I know of this vampire you seek. The only vampire in Secomber I believe, for it wishes not to make others of its kind, in fear of being spotted. Trust me in this, mix-breed, only a very few knows of its existence. And yes, I know its whereabouts. I will tell you only and only if you do something for me in return. Are you interested?", now it is the woman's turn to smirk, thinking she have the upper hand now.  
  
"Then say what you need of me to do so I may do it in haste. I am quite in a hurry."  
  
"A paladin. a paladin of Lathander have been bothering me and my associates lately, he has been. seeking and destroying any worshippers of any. deities not his own."  
  
"You mean evil deities," corrected Sithyari, "so where can I find this paladin?"  
  
"Don't be too cocky in this half-drow, the paladin is good, he have killed three of my clerics, and four of Malar's. He is not usually in Lathander's church but instead roams around town to seek evil. His name is Edrith, blonde hair, muscu---"  
  
"Yes yes, no need to describe him. His name will do, the fact that he is a paladin of Lathander won't give me a hard time finding him", interrupted Sithyari.  
  
"Don't come back until you have dealt with him then, after, we will talk."  
  
"Give me two hours", boasted the half-drow.  
  
"Don't bet on that, half-breed", retorted the cleric.  
  
"Oh, but I already have", smiled Sithyari as he walked towards the door.  
  
"Then you will lose everything," she whispered.  
  
Sithyari, having a drow hearing capabilities, if not totally; heard the remark, but didn't bother replying. Let actions speak for themselves, he thought. 


	3. Of Blood, Righteousness, and Shadows

Chapter 2 Of Blood, Righteousness, and Shadows  
  
Kalan walked inside a mage shop, asking both Adakor and Haikarith to stay outside, saying that they won't "understand" the ways of magic and might prove dangerous for their health. As he walked in, he heard a small but rough voice shouting, "Wait there!". Then a small gnome, with short white balding hair, heavy white eyebrows, brown skin, wearing a light blue robes run to him. The gnome looked up with beady little eyes, and asked, "Please deposit your magic items in the chest beside the door," he huffed, "safety reasons, mind you."  
  
"Fine fine!", Kalan pulled out his sharp dagger with a black blade and a black hilt from his belt, a plain red wand, and took off a plain silver ring from his right middle finger. He placed all three items to the small chest on the floor.  
  
"And potions too!", the gnome added.  
  
Kalan rolled his eyes, "Yes yes", and pulled two small blue potions from his belt and added it to the stash, "now satisfied?".  
  
"Yes thank you", replied the old gnome, smiling with a toothy grin, "so how may I help you stranger? Potions? Rings? A wand or two maybe?", he waved his hands towards his display. The room itself was small, in fact, aside from the displays and the counter, the only place any customer can go is a straight line.  
  
"Well, I want to know if you know any sorcerers who can teach me additional spells, you see, I can now sense more untapped energy within me already", answered Kalan, without giving much interest to the items.  
  
"Sorcerer, ey? Hmmmm. let's see. It is hard you know, I am a wizard, not a sorce---"  
  
"That is why I am asking you if you know someone else?!" replied the usual- impatient Kalan.  
  
"Well, now that you asked that, maybe I do know someone. yes of course I know someone. His name is Tager, or I think it is. He lives northeast of town, blue house with red roof. If you meet him, tell him old Noah said hi. hey where are you going? What about your stuffs?", but Kalan was already outside, and so he went to check the chest, and it is already empty. "Hmmm. good magic, that guy, or was I just not paying attention."  
  
******  
  
"I need to visit a guy named Tager, you better go stroll around, it might take a while."  
  
"Don't worry, we will go with you."  
  
"No we are not, Adakor! C'mon, let's find some cool place to shop!", Haikarith took hold of Adakor's right arm and dragged him in the opposite direction.  
  
"OK Kalan, we will just meet you in the tavern we ate this lunch," replied a helpless Adakor.  
  
As they walked around Secomber, Haikarith stated, "Hey I am getting bored here in Secomber, let us go somewhere else already!"  
  
"What? But we just got here yesterday! And we paid for one week worth at the inn."  
  
"So? It is only a couple of gold that we paid for it. It is not worth the boredom we are getting! Hey look, they are selling a good studded leather armor! Let's go check it out!", Haikarith ran towards the leather shop.  
  
Knowing that there is no use to argue much further for Haikarith's attention is already somewhere else, Adakor just smiled and started to catch up when he heard something in a dark alley to his left. He heard some man's groaning, and some yelling. Looking at Haikarith, disappearing inside the shop, he looked back at the dark alley. Tapping the hilt of his long sword, wishing he is wearing his armor, he went slowly to investigate.  
  
Using his darkvision ability - the ability to see heat patterns in the dark; for in truth, Adakor is a tiefling, a human with a tinge of infernal ancestry - either a devil or a demon, he doesn't discovered yet. And being a tiefling granted him some disadvantages and advantages. One of it is being able to see in the dark. So peeping in the alley, he saw five heat- patterned figures, two are down with what seems to be liquid heat patterns on the floor, which Adakor presumed to be as blood, while the other three are standing in front of them. Adakor didn't waste time entering the darkness, "What is this?", he asked in his usual emotionless voice when dealing with strangers.  
  
"Who goes there?", replied one of the men in a surly voice. Adakor saw the red and orange pattern of the man holding a small and long grey pattern in the dark. Grey states of a cold thing in terms of darkvision, which Adakor thinks is a dagger. "I said, who goes there?", the first man repeated. As Adakor drew closer, one of the men took out a stone that glows with bright daylight from his pouch.  
  
"AHHH!", said the first man, covering his eyes, "Edwin, I told you to warn us before you do something that will affect us too!"  
  
"Sorry sir, just wanted to make sure."  
  
Adakor, also partly blinded with the sudden light, partially saw one of the men drew near holding a blackjack. The man swung hard towards Adakor's head, and reacting more out of instinct than logic, Adakor held the man's upcoming right hand his left. Cursing his lack of strength, and the man's strong muscles, Adakor placed a boot to the man's stomach, kicking him backwards. A second man, the one called Edwin, charged in with his short sword, Adakor blocked Edwin's high thrust and managed to push the man's attack away, and quickly following it with a downward diagonal slash from the man's right shoulder down to his left-side belly. The wound, though not deep, sent the man staggering backwards. "What is going on here?", Adakor asked sternly, as he saw two men, one either stunned or dead, and one lying down, coughing blood, and both have wounds in their stomachs.  
  
"It's none of your business, fool!", the one who have not attacked yet shouted.  
  
"It is my business. every unaccounted violence is my business, especially if those violence are maliciously or injusticely done, then YES, it will be and is my business to stop", Adakor said as adrenaline rushes to his tainted blood, "now I ask you politely, what is going on here, before I.", then Adakor felt his head and blood burn, his heart bleed, Adakor's inner fears is awakening, he fears that his past, either the inherited past or his personal past will once again cloud his judgment and actions, "TELL ME BEFORE I FEAST UPON YOUR DEATH, HUMANS!", Adakor almost didn't recognize his voice, for it is the voice with great anger and hatred. Adakor then advances and when the man with the blackjack tried to attack once again, Adakor easily dodged back his body from the upcoming attack, then retaliated with a stab at the man's throat. The second attacker, ran towards the backend of the alley in terror.  
  
"Come back you fool", the third man looked back towards his running companion, and looked back, obviously shaken. But as a trapped goblin, the third man instead of logically running back too, charged forward with a dagger. He stabbed quickly, once, twice, as Adakor dodged the first attack away then meet the second attack with his long sword. Long sword and dagger clanged, and as the dagger flew away from the man's hands, Adakor grabbed the man by the throat and squeezed it hard with his left hand.  
  
"Explain", was the only thing that Adakor said.  
  
The man, trying to punch his way out vainly, gave up and stammered, "Th.those. two. they owe our. master. money. Ple.please. I was.I was just hired. to do this." the man, spittle going down his mouth begged, "plea.please have. mercy".  
  
Adakor drew his face near to the man's, "And you think that taking away life is the price to pay for debts?!", the man can plainly see the anger through Adakor's dark eyes, even without his words. "Who hired you and where can I find him?!", added the tiefling.  
  
"Goraine, a. a Zhentarim priest of.B.Bane, he. is.pretending to be a.to be a. an artist. at the Wayward Inn."  
  
Suddenly a figure at the alley's front warned, "Hurt him and you're dead", the man, a chubby fellow wearing a leather armor and carrying a light crossbow motioned for Adakor to drop the man and his weapon. Adakor, looking at the man with an emotionless face, dropped the man to the floor and too, his long sword.  
  
"You "good guys" are always predictable. And you believe us to keep you alive just because you did what we told you ---," the man gurgled his last words as blood spurt from his mouth. He fell forward, belly first, as a dagger is planted at the back if his neck. A dagger placed by Haikarith.  
  
"HELLO! I can't leave you for one minute without getting yourself into trouble, huh, Adakor?", boasted Haikarith, "and you consider yourself a paladin, tsk tsk tsk. what a shame.", she kneeled down to pick up her dagger from the man's neck, "eooooowwww! This will take a while to get it back from its original condition!"  
  
A whistle then cuts in the air, "Oh no! Secomber soldiers heading this way! Somebody must have heard and told them! Hide!", Haikarith muttered as she ran inside the alley, "what are you waiting for Adakor? Don't tell me you will submit yourself to the officials? AHA! A ladder!". Without hesitation, Haikarith started climbing upwards, "well, won't you come along?!"  
  
"I think this is the right thing to do. you go ahead. I am not the one at wrong here, so whatever judgment or interrogation they will pass on me, if I know I am in the right position, I have nothing to fear," Adakor smiled even though he knows clearly that Haikarith will never see it in suck a dark corner, "you go ahead".  
  
"Eh. whatever you say," Haikarith, already halfway on the ladder said, "see you in the tavern!" As she disappeared above, three Secomber soldiers appeared just outside the dark alley. The soldiers wearing a violet and red sash over chain mail armor drew their long swords as Haikarith, way on top the ladder, heard one of them issue a command for Adakor to surrender himself. "Stupid paladin.", she told herself.  
  
******  
  
Kalan reached the northeast part of town, a part where the town is most rugged. Dirty people with dirty stalls, selling dirty merchandise and goods, Kalan thought, "quite a place to find a sorcerer who can teach me new spells", he joked sarcastically. The streets are busy with people, adults and children, most of them thieves no doubt, Kalan thought with disgust, as he checked his gold pouch on the right side of his belt. As Kalan was about to turn back, totally convinced that he has been tricked by the gnome, he then saw the house - blue with red roof. "Well, let's get this over with.".  
  
Kalan approached the house, blue as the gnome said, partly that is. Most of the house's blue paint has been chipped away by time and weather. Almost half of it is now the house's original color of grey stone. The door and windows weren't doing any good either, all of them in bad condition, as if soaked in water for years. Kalan, lowering his cowl, not wanting to look suspicious to whoever is inside, began to knock. A moment later, the door opened, and to Kalan's surprise, a half-orc answered.  
  
"What do you want?", the half-orc answered with a grumbling voice.  
  
"I was told that a sorcerer lives here, I wish to see him. to learn some spell or two", Kalan answered, thinking indeed that the gnome tricked him. But seeing the half-orc's unusual clothing and traits, maybe this half-orc is indeed the sorcerer. The half-orc, standing six and a half feet tall, light green skin, bald hair, black eyes, short tusks, with strong, bulging muscles is quite expected from a typical half-orc, but what intrigued Kalan is the half-orc's scar like markings all over his body, markings that Kalan is sure not from battle. More to, is that the half-orc is wearing a dusky brown, wizard types of robe - very unusual for the typical half-orc, for most are the warrior type and prefer to wear armors.  
  
"You wish to learn spells, do you?", the half-orc scanned Kalan from head to toe, "and what spells are you interested in?"  
  
"Any offensive spells will do.", Kalan said, and would you mind at least letting me in you big oaf, Kalan added in his thoughts.  
  
As if reading his thoughts, the half-orc gave a toothy chuckle, "Fine fine, buy me some food and bring some water too and meet me in the burned warehouse east of here", the half-orc begin to close the door, "and by the way, price depends on difficulty of the spell. Fifty gold for the easiest spells, fifty more for every complexity, is that fine with you?"  
  
"Yes whatever, as long as I get what I want", Kalan leaving without even waiting for the half-orc's reply, replied. And after walking some blocks, he managed to buy two whole pies from a pretty yet dirty looking young woman, and ate a piece. Looking for a store where he can buy a drink, Kalan stepped on a puddle on the side of the street. He looked at his wet boots and smiled, "this is for sending me on a stupid goblin errand.". 


End file.
